XIII: MOVING ON
When Legolas reached the camp of the Fellowship, the scene he found himself looking at was disturbing. Gandalf was sitting next to Pippin, whose face was pale and showing pain, but he had stopped screaming and now was merely crying with huge sobs. His eyes were wide open, and in them there was pain, terror and disbelief. The rest of his friends stood around them.
"What happened, Mithrandir? I heard the scream and came back as soon as I could!" Legolas asked the wizard.
"The power of Sauron works against all of us, Legolas. This time the evil eye tried to take possession of our friend Pippin, who gave in to curiosity and tried to see into the palantir. He hasn't received much harm, but the eye knows now where we are."
The soldiers of Rohan led by Theoden and Eomer arrived. While Gandalf and Aragorn were explaining to the King and Marshall what had happened, Legolas walked over to the hobbits and Gimli sitting by Pippin. The young hobbit still seemed to be very disturbed, but wasn't as pale as before.
Cyrene was watching them from afar, standing by the Rohirrim. But it was on the exact same instant that Legolas and Cyrene felt it approaching, for their eyes went up to the sky at the same time, moments before everybody else heard the flapping of giant wings and the monstrous shadow fell on them, darkening the light of the moon.
It was a huge black winged creature, darkening even the stars. Everybody was petrified by terror. Legolas and Cyrene reached instinctively for their bows, even if they knew the creature was too far away for them to hit it with their arrows; it turned around and flew towards north.
Gandalf looked up to the sky, his fists clenched, his arms tensed along his body. "Nazgul!" he said, "The messenger from Mordor. The storm is near, the Nazgul have crossed the river. You must leave now, at once, do not wait until dawn! Leave!!!"
After a very short council, they decided that the Rohirrim, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Merry would break camp immediately and return to Helm's Deep, while Gandalf was leaving with Pippin for Minas Tirith.
Aragorn gathered Gimli, Legolas and Merry before joining the Rohirrim.
"Gandalf has given the palantir to me. I feel my hour coming. After Helm's Deep the riders of Rohan will ride to Minas Tirith. But not me and whoever wants to join me. My path lays somewhere else. "
"I will join you, Aragorn," said Legolas.
"And so will Gimli!" said the dwarf.
"Do not leave me behind!" cried Merry.
Aragorn smiled at them sadly, because he knew that there was a very difficult task ahead of them, even if he could not tell what it was. He had never doubted the loyalty of his companions. But he also saw the shadows in the elf's eyes as he looked over to where the Rohirrim were almost ready to ride.
While Gimli was helping Merry to gather his few belongings, Aragorn walked to Legolas, who was adjusting his saddle. "I know of the calling of your heart, my friend. I release you from your vow."
Legolas spun around as if Aragorn would have hit his back. "No, Aragorn. My vow is still mine to keep. You may not release me. For my first duty lies with the quest and with you. Until we have defeated Sauron, my soul will not know of peace and my heart will only beat for the fight. Be at ease, I will not fail you. "
Aragorn saw again the longing in Legolas' eyes but knew that he had already made up his mind. He only wished that fate would bring them together again.
There was ominous silence hanging in the air as the riders departed.
******
Cyrene was lost in her thoughts almost the entire time of their trip back to Helm's Deep. Her thoughts changed from the Amazons and their decision to join the battle or not to the events that had transpired between herself and Legolas the previous night, to which she blushed profusely.
After they had been riding for a couple of miles, and while trying to clear her head of such thoughts by surveying the landscape around her, Cyrene caught sight of some riders approaching their group. She approached the front of the group and bowed her head to the King."
"Sire, there are riders approaching from the north. They are riding hard and have almost reached us."
Theoden ordered a stop. The riders turned around preparing their spears. Aragorn got down from his horse, put Merry down and pulled out his sword before standing next to the king's stirrup. Eomer and Cyrene rode back to their positions at the rear of the group.
As soon as the sound of hooves got closer, they could recognize that the followers were a group as large as theirs. Eomer commanded them to halt about fifty paces away from them. "Halt, who rides in Rohan?"
The followers stopped at once. There was a moment of silence, and in the pale moonlight they saw one of the unknown riders get down from his mount and approach the Rohirrim holding a white hand up, the open palm towards them in as gesture of goodwill. Cyrene and her archers were still aiming their drawn bows towards the strangers though.
"Rohan you said? We have been looking for this country and we ride in great hurry," said the stranger.
Eomer spoke up to the man, "You have found it, as soon as you crossed the river you have entered Rohan, King Theoden's domain. And no one rides trough it without his permission. Who are you? Why are you riding in such a hurry?"
"I am Halbarad Dúnadan, Ranger from the North and I am looking for Aragorn, son of Arathorn; we heard he was in Rohan. "
Aragorn gave the reins of his horse to Merry and walked to the new arrival embracing him.
"Halbarad, you have found him. Of all the joys I could have, this is the most unexpected!"
He turned to the riders of Rohan. "These are my kinsmen from the land I used to live in. But about their reason for being here or their number, Halbarad will tell us."
"Thirty men ride with me," said Halbarad, "as well as the brothers Elladan and Elrohir who wish to go to war. We came as soon as we received your summon, Aragorn"
"But I didn't summon you …. except with my wishful thinking. Anyway, these questions will have to wait. We have to ride on, join our company, if the King allows it," said Aragorn.
"If these men are your kin, Milord Aragorn, thirty of them are a force not to be measured by its number," said King Theoden.
After that, the riders resumed their travel to Helm's Deep; Aragorn rode with the newcomers, his people, the Dunedain.
Elrohir, one of the twin sons of Lord Elrond, spoke to Aragorn. "My father sends you a message. He said: 'the days are short, time is running out, remember the Path of the Dead´".
Aragorn was silent for a short while. "I must think carefully and ponder my decisions. I will have to be desperate to take that path."
**************
The riders reached the fortress of Helm's Deep at dawn. As soon as they arrived, Aragorn and Halbarad went up to a chamber in the highest tower. Isildur's Heir said he had to think about the next step to be taken.
Gimli, Merry and Legolas made camp inside the fortress, enjoying a short rest while waiting for Aragorn's decision.
Merry curled up in his cloak and slept. Gimli sat down and was smoking his pipe, observing Legolas, who sat with his back against the wall, his eyes lost in the distance. He was calm but Gimli could sense sorrow in his friend's demeanor. The reserved elf hadn't said a word about the choice he had made, but Gimli was no fool. Even though he did not know how Legolas' relationship with the spirited Amazon was coming along, he knew that they had come to a point where they would part from the Rohirrim Army and from Cyrene as well.
Gimli spoke softly, knowing that Legolas would hear him, nevertheless. "She will understand your choice, my friend. Cyrene is also bound to her allegiance to Rohan. She is a warrior and a honorable woman, she will understand."
Legolas turned to Gimli. "You are wise and your eyes see beyond what I thought I was showing, Gimli," he sighed. "I know she will understand. It is my heart that feels like being torn in two. I am not scared of the path we will take, even though men seem to be caught by fear by the mere thought of it. The only thing I fear right now is loosing her and live on wondering if she was the one fate chose for me. Her soul mirrors mine; she gives me peace and joy by only looking at me. May the Valar have mercy on us, my friend."
**************
Meanwhile, among the Rohirrim on the other side of the fortress, the archer Dumetar had returned from his mission at the coast, carrying a message for Cyrene and the King.
King Theoden summoned Cyrene to his tent, where an exhausted Dumetar was having wine and food after a whole day of hard riding back from his mission.
Cyrene entered Theoden's tent, paid her respects to the king, and went to Dumetar, anxious to hear his news.
"My friend, it is good to see you safely back!" she greeted the archer.
Dumetar looked tired but well. "Captain, you will always be a joy to my eyes."
Theoden sat across from where Dumetar was sitting and made a sign to the Amazon to sit down by them. "So, Dumetar, were you successful? Did you deliver your message?"
"Yes Sire, I did. And this man who received the message had messenger pigeons. He sent a bird flying as soon as I arrived, and bid me to stay the night, in the hope of receiving the answer. And we did receive it in the morning. From then on I rode as hard as I could without breaking my mount. And here I am, Sire."
"What is the answer, Dumetar? Will Queen Myrine send help?" asked Cyrene.
Theoden was curious about Cyrene's anxiety. The archer's captain was usually reserved and calm. There was more to the matter than met the eye.
Dumetar said. "I have the answer here, captain, but …I can't read it."
He gave a piece of parchment to Cyrene, who gave it to the king with shaky hands. 'By the breath of the Goddess, Cyrene, get a hold on yourself' Cyrene chided herself.
Theoden read the message and gave it to Cyrene. "Myrine will attend the summon of her allies. The Amazons will await you south from Dol Amroth, near the Bel-Falas at the next change of moon. You will lead them to Minas Tirith, Cyrene."
Cyrene read the parchment herself and for a moment, she was oblivious of the King, Dumetar and where she was. The beloved handwriting … the signature, the royal seal … she felt for a second as if a hand was clenching her heart. And she was going to meet the Amazons and lead them into battle, like she had done a long time ago.
She shook her head to clear it from those thoughts and focused on Theoden, who was watching her intently with wise eyes.
"But you will have to ride hard, Cyrene, to reach the coast in time and lead them to Minas Tirith. Can you do this, my friend? Who will ride with you?"
Dumetar stood up, "I will ride with you, captain, as soon as I find a new horse…"
Cyrene smiled to her friend. "No, Sire, I will ride alone, and take two horses and no provisions, except my weapons. I will leave within the hour," and she saluted the King, turning to leave.
Theoden said, "I trust you, Cyrene, to accomplish this mission. I will be looking forward for your arrival in Minas Tirith."
Cyrene turned to the king again. "I will not fail you, my King."
******************
Cyrene picked two horses and prepared her gear. She decided she could not leave without a word to Gimli and Legolas and crossed the camp to where she thought she might find them.
Gimli saw her first, since Legolas was still troubled and immersed in his own thoughts. "She seems to have guessed you were thinking about her, Legolas."
Cyrene was clad in her full armor, except for the helmet she no longer possessed. The battle-axe was dangling from her waist, her sword sheathed at her back, her quiver full of arrows. She wasn't carrying her bow.
Legolas and Cyrene met for the first time after the events by the river. He could not look at her without seeing her again in his arms writhing, flushed by pleasure. Cyrene looked at him and seemed to see herself in his eyes, blushing and shivering by the memories of his hands on her body. She got a grip on herself, approaching Gimli first.
"I have come to bid you farewell, my friends. I am leaving for the coast and will be joining the battle in Minas Tirith."
Gimli was surprised. "Are you leaving? Are the archers leaving with you?"
"No, friend dwarf. I am leaving for the Anduin shores alone," said Cyrene.
Legolas sprang up. "Cyrene, you cannot ride alone into the borders of Mordor."
Cyrene's smile froze. "Legolas, my friend, I am leaving for the Anduin shores. I thought of wishing you luck for the remaining journey. We will meet in Minas Tirith. Take my word on it."
Legolas felt fear for her and despair at the thought of her putting herself in danger. "Cyrene, please do not ride alone to the coast … I just can't bear the thought …"
She crossed the space between them and tenderly brushed her knuckles to his cheek.
"I promise we will meet again, Legolas. I never break my promises."
The elf could not help himself, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely, in front of Gimli, Merry, and a very annoyed Eomer who had come after Cyrene.
*********
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